Airbnb Launches Instagram-Like 'Stories' Feature

Here's another social media site to keep up with: Airbnb. Seriously. The home-sharing company just launched 'Travel Stories' on its site and app—which look a hell of a lot like Instagram Stories—for travelers to share their photos and videos from their trip directly. Like Instagram, you're able to geo-tag where you were in each photo, from restaurants to beaches, to specific Airbnbs. All of the locations come together at the bottom of the Travel Story, so you have a detailed, photo-based itinerary to share with your friends. Unlike Snapchat or Instagram Stories, the montage is permanent. See a super photogenic home or apartment in someone else's post? You can book it right then and there.

Airbnb's instructions on how to create a story.

Courtesy Airbnb

Right now, a select number of beta testers have access to the new feature, which currently only works on the iPhone app, and Airbnb hasn't announced an official release date for the rest of us to use it. In the meantime, you can poke through other traveler's stories, and get some inspo for your next trip (and Airbnb booking). The company has an FAQ page, if you want to read up on how the new feature works, but since the tips are along the lines of "Write about why you thought that moment was interesting" and "Focus on capturing the destination and what you find interesting about it (this works better than selfies)," we think you can probably figure it out on your own. There's no way to follow anyone just yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if that feature came in Travel Story 2.0.

It makes sense, actually, that Airbnb would want to keep you on its app, swiping through other people's vacations in Florence or Cuba, since the company wants you to come to it for just about everything else. As of now, you can book your room, your tours, your meals, your concerts in one place. In the future, you will likely be able to book your flights and rental cars on Airbnb, too. Why not share you vacation photos (remember, no selfies!) while you're at it?